Jeffrey has the opportunity to have a long-term role on the team due to his versatility - he seems to have enough hockey IQ to understand his role and enough skill to be bottom 6, top 6 with some luck. I'd prefer to see Glass-Jeffrey/Vitale-Jeffrey/Vitale on the 4th, I'm not sure Adams brings as much as he used to. Jeffrey could then fill a spot at wing on the 3rd next season as I doubt we retain all the upcoming UFA's.

Re the other guys getting shots with Geno, I think they want to see where Bennett is development wise before he secures a spot with Sid next season, a little more AHL time will only help.Tangradi is at do or die, he will either sink or swim with Geno and Neal and is more a stop-gap for players better suited to the system. If he drags the line down he will be traded sooner rather than later.

Jeffrey is a more mobile and intelligent player than Tangradi. If we want a "stop gap" before Bennett gets his shot, it should be him. I think people only remember the post-injury Jeffrey, because he did some nice things with lesser players before that knee injury.

He is just at NHL speed, so any issues he experienced with the knee during his comeback showed big-time. If he were a little faster he may have adjusted to the lack of half a step, but struggling to keep up is not a way to be successful.

If he is healthy now I expect he will be a nice contributor this year, and if given a bigger role he may surprise a lot of folks. Keep in mind that no line has ever really had three guys at a point a game pace. You need a guy who can do a lot of little things and chip in offense as it comes. Corners, back-checking, net front garbage goals are where it matters and he can do those things and free up Malkin and Neal.

The Snapshot wrote:Jeffrey is a more mobile and intelligent player than Tangradi. If we want a "stop gap" before Bennett gets his shot, it should be him. I think people only remember the post-injury Jeffrey, because he did some nice things with lesser players before that knee injury.

Shero is giving Tangradi one "last" chance.... if nothing comes of it, I'm guessing Tangradi is trade fodder at the deadline. I'd anticipate Jeffrey/Bennett taking over at some point.

He's in that gray area where you can't get a good return but he won't clear waivers because he might get it this year. Kunitz walked that line too with the Ducks, he was waived, Atlanta picked him up then waived him again but the Ducks picked him back up and he finally hit his potential at age 26.

Tangradi is 23. There's still some time but he will never get a better chance then now playing with two of the best players in the world.

I'm not saying that Jeffrey is the best player in the world or anything like that it is just that DB's comments to the press have never mentioned him. He has said that Tangradi, Cooke, Glass, Kennedy, and Bennett (obviously until today) would all see work on Geno's line. I still don't understand why Jeffrey has never even been mentioned or given a chance. We are seriously going to see Tangradi on Geno's wing saturday at the start of the game.....

He's in that gray area where you can't get a good return but he won't clear waivers because he might get it this year. Kunitz walked that line too with the Ducks, he was waived, Atlanta picked him up then waived him again but the Ducks picked him back up and he finally hit his potential at age 26.

Tangradi is 23. There's still some time but he will never get a better chance then now playing with two of the best players in the world.

Exactly. Right now, Tangradi isn't going to fetch much in a trade but since he's still one of the Pens' top forward prospects it isn't worth risking him on the waiver wire. He's pretty well on the roster for good now, whether that's part of the lineup or as a healthy scratch is "up to him".

I met someone in college at PSU who said he played hockey with Tangradi and told me how good he was before we even got him so it made me really pumped but Its really hard to support Tangradi. Most want him to succeed so bad as do I but his time is running out esp since we have some good looking young talent. Jeffrey has shown tremendous potential and i would really like to see what he can do again. Hopefully they both step up.

I'm definitely not arguing that Tangradi is as good as Malone, but rather that big guys with talent take longer to develop. Look around the league. most of these types of players establish themselves @ 24. Ryane Clowe plays 18 games in 05-06 for the Sharks (age 23), he racks up 2 assists. Next year, turns 24 and puts up 16 g 18 a.

Tangradi is only 23. So all the people suggesting he's a bust are jumping the gun big time.

pcm wrote:I'm definitely not arguing that Tangradi is as good as Malone, but rather that big guys with talent take longer to develop. Look around the league. most of these types of players establish themselves @ 24. Ryane Clowe plays 18 games in 05-06 for the Sharks (age 23), he racks up 2 assists. Next year, turns 24 and puts up 16 g 18 a.

Tangradi is only 23. So all the people suggesting he's a bust are jumping the gun big time.

I don't disagree.... but its hard for a team in "win now" mode to deal with slow developing talent. I'd love to see the kid break out after all the crap he's gotten over the past few years....

I understand that you need to give guys time to develop, but my beef with Tangradi is that he doesn't seem to have any mean streak or physical presence, and that's something that should be there from the get go. A big guy that doesn't play big is no asset. Maybe he's done this in the minors but I haven't seen it in his limited stints with the Pens.

Jeffrey got some time on PK during that pretty good stretch he had 2 seasons ago, and that's how he can become a part of the lineup. Work on his PK, if he can be almost as good as Adams he can take his spot on the 4th line, then you get the occasional shot at playing with the two headed monster while their respective lines are resting and try to prove you got something more.

Nizzy wrote:I'd rather have Jeffrey on the 3rd line than Tyler Kennedy on this team at all.

Yeah, get rid of a hard working 15-20 goal guy that always seems to be part of the '3rd best line' in the league. I just don't get this TK hate.

Because when you take away his 15 goals, he goes completely invisible for 8 games at a time. Then he'll have a 2 goal game and won't be heard from again for 15. So much of that best 3rd line in the league was Staal's big body. Little Kennedy is so good at chipping the puck down the boards... He's got a sneaky shot, when goalies see it coming, its 100% middle of the chest. Erik Christensen could score 15 playing with Cooke and Staal.

Isn't that the reason he is a 3rd liner and not top 6? If he was consistant with his goal scoring he would have already been promoted to the top 6. No one is saying he is a great player but he's good at his role. Forecheck, cycle, provide some secondary scoring, be responsible defensively and provide energy. He does all of that. Don't expect him to be Chris Kunitz. Take him for what he is, a 3rd liner, and all the sudden you realize what type of value he brings to the table in that role.

joopen wrote:Isn't that the reason he is a 3rd liner and not top 6? If he was consistant with his goal scoring he would have already been promoted to the top 6. No one is saying he is a great player but he's good at his role. Forecheck, cycle, provide some secondary scoring, be responsible defensively and provide energy. He does all of that. Don't expect him to be Chris Kunitz. Take him for what he is, a 3rd liner, and all the sudden you realize what type of value he brings to the table in that role.

Meh. He does all of that...sometimes. When Kennedy is confident, he's a borderline second line winger. When Kennedy is lacking confidence, he's a borderline NHL'er. Combine the two, and he's a third liner. He is a tenacious forechecker when he wants to be. He is good at the cycle when he wants to be. He does provide secondary scoring in spurts. He is average, at best, defensively, and benefits mostly from his speed and having two very defense-minded linemates. And he does provide a lot of energy.

By no means would I want Jeffrey over him -- but I certainly won't be too sad if/when he is replaced.